they were not heating much because they were extremely hot crompton told police. in his own handwriting he described the ordeal that began at mile 15. he seemed to seem dizzy. we had him sit down. after 20 minutes he got worse. he seemed to be choking. i turned him on his side. he vomited. i cleared his mouth. he stopped breathing. an hour and a half after stopping the hike, he placed a call on his cell phone. >> 911, what is the address of your emergency? >> the florida trail. we're hiking in the everglades. got a guy, he's not breathing. >> the guy's not breathing? >> yes sir. >> reporter: crompton had been performing cpr on him for 45 minutes by the time the rescue helicopter reached him. by then he had no pulse. he was air-lifted out but half an hour later, he was declared dead. >> their son dying during a hike on a hot day in the everglades. >> now a mother and father -- >> reporter: this is how the community learned about his death but his parents' account of how they learned is the stuff of nightmares. >> the sheriff knocked on the door and he said michael,

they weren't eating much because they were extremely hot, crompton is quoted as telling police.choking. i turn him on his side. he vomited. i cleared his mouth. he stopped breathing." an hour and a half after stopping the hike, he placed a call on his cell phone. >> 911. what is the address of your emergency? >> reporter: the florida trail. we're hiking in the everglades and he's not breathing. >> the guy's not breathing? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: crompton had been performing cpr on michael for 45 minutes by the time a rescue helicopter reached them. the report says by then michael had to pulse. he was airlifted out but half an hour later, he was declared dead. >> the sheriff knocked on the door and they said, michael, and he died. when my daughter and my husband came home and he told them, their screams just still ring in my ears because they were screaming and collapsing to the ground. we never heard from the scouts. >> reporter: that night you never heard from them? >> no. one of them -- howard crompton called about midday. >> reporter: having to place that call was, no doubt